Baltimore DC vacation questions

Discussion in 'Mid-Atlantic' started by Mantooth, Mar 10, 2013.

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  1. RichardMNixon

    RichardMNixon Maven (1,431) Jun 24, 2012 Pennsylvania

    In Baltimore, hit Union Craft Brewing as well. It's around the corner from the Woodberry light rail stop, they have growler fills and free samples, and you won't find them outside of Baltimore.
     
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  2. TheFunGuy

    TheFunGuy Initiate (0) Dec 27, 2011 Virginia

    Dupont Circle hotel? Big Hunt, Churchkey, BierBaron, Pizza Paradiso (as mentioned). Do not believe the Metro (subway) maps, the Adams Morgan college pubcrawl area is a taxi ride, not a metro stop.

    Chinatown stop to run the area there.

    Consider Alexandria King Street Old Town stop. With the exception of Bilbo Baggins, everything is on one long street with free shuttles from the station to river and back. BB is three blocks from the river and two blocks north of King.
     
  3. RKP1967

    RKP1967 Savant (1,150) Sep 26, 2010 Virginia

    Sure, if you're a cripple or a fatass. Adams Morgan is an easy walk from Dupont Circle. i've been known to walk from Union Station to Adams Morgan, which is much further.

     
  4. TheFunGuy

    TheFunGuy Initiate (0) Dec 27, 2011 Virginia

    I do have arthritis of the knee. I have also hoofed it from the strip there to the station while rocked drunk. However, this is not a dick measuring contest, I was telling them how not to waste 20 minutes of their valuable drinking time here.

    ETA: I would, of course, lose such a contest if I were so foolish as to test myself against you.
     
  5. TheFunGuy

    TheFunGuy Initiate (0) Dec 27, 2011 Virginia

    I forgot, women really like the Mansion on O Street, since you are staying at Dupont. There is a small bar as the women look for the secret doors and hats to buy. Try to get discount tickets online first.
     
  6. RKP1967

    RKP1967 Savant (1,150) Sep 26, 2010 Virginia

    Between Smoke and Barrel, Black Squirrel, and Mellow Mushroom, Adams Morgan certainly has its beer merits.
     
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  7. Mantooth

    Mantooth Initiate (0) Dec 6, 2011 North Carolina

    Just checked in to the Marriott metro. Bout to venture out to the spots you all suggested. Thanks again for all the help!!! You guys rawk.
     
  8. Mantooth

    Mantooth Initiate (0) Dec 6, 2011 North Carolina

    So, we had beers at (deep breath): Alewife, The Brewer's Art, Max's, Smoke and Barrel, Meridian Pint, Matchbox, The Big Hunt, Churchkey & Capital City Brewing - with mostly glowing experiences. The folks at Alewife were amazing, we got hooked up with so many freebies there. Spent a small fortune at Churchkey but downed brews I've never had access to before. We hit The Big Hunt pretty late, that place is all kinds of fun. The only bad experience was at Max's. We hit it one evening and the joint was just too busy to even speak - just loud as hell. So we had a brew and moved on. We checked it out again the next day and were able to snag a spot at the bar. My girlfriend asked to sample a beer (which we're used to being able to do in Charlotte, and frankly - every other spot we visited on this trip hooked us up with samples, often without us even asking) and the bartender responds to her, "We're in the business of selling beer, not giving it away." Now - if they don't do samples, I've got no problem with that - their bar, their policy - but there's no need to talk down to us - plus he said it to my girlfriend, which I didn't much care for. We finished my beer and hit more spots - and had a fantastic vacation. You can see my reviews of each stop if you like.

    Best food? Timbuktu's crab cakes were amazing - pretty much just a fish camp dive but killer cakes. We also loved Bertha's mussels. Great food.

    Thanks for all the help, can't wait to do it again.
     
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  9. Ford

    Ford Initiate (0) Sep 8, 2012 Texas

    Ok, marking Max off my list... I've never been told no when asking for a sample.. and I never abuse the privilege..That is just terrible customer service. If someone keeps asking without ever buying anything you shut them down at that point.. though I've never seen that happen either.

    I need to look into Alewife...
     
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  10. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Just my two cents on Max's, but...

    I used to stop by Max's pretty frequently when I lived in the area, and I never had a problem when asking for a taste of something. One of the things I've always really liked about Max's, is that you can buy a sample glass of anything (no matter how rare or how limited it is). A lot of times if they had something I knew nothing about, I'd ask if I could just get a small taste of something, before deciding if I wanted to commit to a full glass or a sample size glass. Again, I never had a problem with any bartender when making such a request. That being said....

    In my experience, any place can have an off day or night, no matter how great the place. I'm assuming that for whatever reason, the bartender in question was having a particularly bad day, and so for some reason was in a bad mood. That doesn't excuse what happened to Mantooth... I'm simply suggesting that what he experienced isn't typical (at least not based on my experience). Given where Max's is located (almost immediately adjacent to the water taxi pick-up in Fells Point), they get a huge influx of tourists, many of which don't know the first thing about craft beer, etc. So the staff there get all kinds of off the wall questiions, and they're trained to respond in a polite and friendly manner. I've even seen customers go off on the staff sometimes, upon learning that they couldn't bring kids in, or that there wasn't any table service (Max's has large, prominent signs advising patrons of their service policy, but for some, it just doesn't seem to resonate with some people). Again, when this happens, I've never seen the staff react in anything but a polite, professional manner. I only point this out to emphasize just how rare the experience Mantooth had is. Again, that's no excuse for what happened... I'm simply noting that this isn't common.

    As for the experience Mantooth had the previous evening, unfortunately, in my experience that IS pretty typical. If you visit Max's on a Friday or Saturday evening after 7:00 or 8:00, it will likely be a madhouse, with the noise level off the charts. Consequently, I always tell visiting friends to go (and leave) early.

    Shrug. There are a lot of cool places to visit while in the Baltimore area, so no need to visit Max's if you don't want to (Ford). However, they do have a stellar, often incredible beer selection, one that no place else in the city can touch. That's not to put Alewife down (or Brewer's Art, or Hudston St. Stackhouse, or Mahaffey's, etc.), which is also an excellent spot (although I think it a bit expensive, and I'm not a big fan of the location). Still, it's pretty hard to imagine visiting Baltimore without stopping by Max's. Frankly, I think you should give a try and then form your own opinion. Cheers!

    (You could also read over some of the reviews of Max's. As you'll see, a lot of visitors have had a very good time there.)
     
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  11. Carlin

    Carlin Initiate (0) Jun 4, 2013 Maryland

    If you like interesting saisons go to Of Love And Regret. Awesome Stillwater beers and amazing high class food.
     
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  12. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I must be trying the wrong Stillwater beers I guess.

    Stillwater definitely makes some good stuff, and I completely agree with the "interesting saison" style description, but... awesome? I think that's a bit strong, but that's just my opinion. I just haven't heard anyone else ever describe Stillwater's stuff as awesome, which is why this surprised me a bit.

    Also, Stillwater beers are pretty easy to find in and around Baltimore, so there's no need to go to OLAR in order to sample them. Not that there's anything wrong with OLAR, but their prices remain very high (despite assurances from Brian S. that draft prices there would start to come down a bit), and while the food there is good, I just think it's overpriced. Max's and Alewife both typically will have several different Stillwater beers available on draft (Max's has a very nice bottle selection of Stillwater stuff as well), and Max's often times will have something of theirs on cask. Personally, I would go to Max's and Alewife for Stillwater beers, especially if I was on any kind of a budget.

    (both the draft list and menu for OLAR are available on line, for anyone who wants to see for themselves regarding OLAR pricing)
     
  13. Carlin

    Carlin Initiate (0) Jun 4, 2013 Maryland

    I wouldn't say all Stillwater stuff is awesome. The beers I would throw in that category are Folklore, Cellar Door, Saison Darkly and Lower Dens. Also, the food is pricey because it's a hell of a lot better than anything you would get at a regular brew pub.
     
  14. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    "Also, the food is pricey because it's a hell of a lot better than anything you would get at a regular brew pub."

    Except, of course, they're not a brewpub.

    Each to their own of course, and I do agree that the food at OLAR is pretty good (though I wouldn't describe it as high class), but still... you don't think $14 for a burger is a bit spendy? Or $22 for fish and chips? Or $12 for a grilled cheese sandwich?

    I agree the croissant bun for the burgers is a nice touch, but even so, I don't think it warrants a $14 price tag.


    At least for me, this is just an ongoing problem I have with OLAR. I don't think I'm quite the fan you are, but I do like Stillwater beer... just not to the tune of $9 for 10 ounce glass (which is what a glass will run you of the Love and Regret). I've already commented about the food prices at OLAR, so I won't belabor it further. As for Stillwater beer, I like some things better than others, but regardless, initially I was pretty excited about the prospect of seeing the occasional barrel aged beer on tap at OLAR.... until I saw the $9 for a 6 ounce pour price tag.

    As I mentioned, Max's usually has a pretty decent selection of Stillwater on tap (and their prices are plenty high enough as it is), so that's where I'll contiue to go for Stillwater beer whenever I'm in town.
     
  15. wd09601

    wd09601 Crusader (416) Jul 29, 2012 Maryland

    I've never had a bad experience at Max's and even when my wife got a thread in her grilled cheese during Belgian Beer Fest and we took it back to the bar tenders they made a funny joke about how the thread was theirs and then they asked "What do you want?"
    We just asked for another sandwich, but when I got the bill they had not charged me for the bottle of Cantillon ($45) I ordered. It was pretty awesome.
     
  16. Mantooth

    Mantooth Initiate (0) Dec 6, 2011 North Carolina

    Although we didn't have the greatest experience at Max's, I would absolutely suggest you try it out when in the area. Hell, I've had bad experiences at my most frequented local pubs. Like someone above said... guy could've been having a bad night. His statement was a complete turnoff, but I didn't take it as indicative of the bar as a whole. It was a bit more befuddling because I'd just ordered one of the most expensive brews on tap... so he was aware that I was fairly beer-smart, but still. As for the noise the night prior, hell... they were just crazy busy. That's cool, it just wasn't our thing at the time.

    Bottom line, when I'm back in the area I'll definitely swing by again. You should try it and form your own opinion... amazing tap list.
     
  17. Smakawhat

    Smakawhat Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,191) Mar 18, 2008 Maryland
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    I had no problem getting half pours (explaining to the barternder that I needed to pace myself with certain beers cause I wanted to try many of them) while visiting Max's, but I was there on a lazy Sunday afternoon shortly after lunch and it was real quiet, so I had the entire place pretty much to myself.
     
  18. RichardMNixon

    RichardMNixon Maven (1,431) Jun 24, 2012 Pennsylvania

    You paid for them though, right? I think Mantooth was referring to the practice at some bars of getting a ~1 oz sample to gauge if you like something enough to order a whole one. Max's sells 5 oz. pours instead of doing that, but the bartenders will pour the odd sample if you're chatting about a particular beer.
     
  19. Smakawhat

    Smakawhat Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,191) Mar 18, 2008 Maryland
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    yes i paid for, but the bartender also mentioned if I wanted a sample of something that wouldn't be a problem.
     
  20. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Yes. I don't do it all that often, but there have been a few occasions where I knew nothing about a particular beer, and so asked for a taste before committing to a sample pour or a full glass. The bartenders were always completely cool about it. Granted, I was a pretty regular customer at Max's and knew the bartenders, but I saw them according the same courtesy to tourists who had just walked in off the street.

    In my experience, the quality of the service at Max's is often affected by how busy they are (which I think is pretty understandable). On times when they aren't busy, I've seen bartenders spending a considerable amount of time with a customer, pouring them several sample tastes to try to find something they liked (with no charge). However, on occasions when the place is packed (increasingly all too frequently), of course the bartender wants you to make up your mind, order a drink, so he can move on to the next customer... and yes, at such times, I've seen them become impatient with a customer who couldn't make up his mind or who was taking an inordinate amount of time to figure out what they wanted. Again, I think that's to be expected...
     
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